The University of Redlands women's basketball suffered its first Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) of the 2010 season tonight, falling to visiting Cal Lutheran University by a score of 60-64. The Bulldogs watched an 11-point halftime lead slip away on the heels of seven second-half three-pointers by the Regals.

The Bulldogs took control early and jumped out to a 15-4 advantage with just over 13 minutes to go in the first half. They made it a 14-point game when sophomore guard Katy Coyne (Scottsdale, AZ) hit both of her free-throws at 5:44.

Although the Regals fought back to cut the lead to eight with 1:08 left in the half, Redlands remained ahead at the break with a 35-24 advantage as senior Meghan Yetman (Danville, CA) nailed a three-pointer at the buzzer.

The first few minutes of the second half saw a back-and-forth battle between two talented teams, with the Bulldogs sitting ahead by 10 points at the 12-minute mark. But then Cal Lutheran lit up the scoreboard and knocked down three consecutive baskets from long range en route to an 11-0 run for its first lead of the game at 48-47.

However, Redlands responded with back-to-back scores as Yetman made a lay-up and senior guard Ali Bueno (San Jose, CA) sank a three-pointer on the ensuing play.

Down by four with 4:40 remaining, the Regals rallied back to eventually tie it at 57 just over two minutes later.

Costly turnovers and poor shooting by Redlands opened the door for Cal Lutheran to nab the important SCIAC victory. The Regals also hit seven of their eight final free-throws, while the Bulldogs shot just 50.0% from the line in the final 2:21 of the game.

Sophomore forward Courtney Carroll (Rancho Palos Verdes, CA) led the Bulldogs with 17 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks. Bueno went 5-for-10 from long range and contributed 16 points, while Yetman added 15 points on 6-for-8 shooting. Junior guard Mariah Barbetti-Cort (Ventura, CA) chipped in 10 points, eight rebounds and six assists.

Cal Lutheran gained 33 points from its bench with freshman guard Erica Whitley (Oxnard, CA) serving as a major catalyst with 17 points on a 4-for-10 showing form beyond the arc.

The Bulldogs (13-4, 5-1 SCIAC) now sit in a three-way tie for first place with the Regals and the Tigers of Occidental College. Redlands hosts Occidental on Thursday at 7:30 p.m.